Whither All-Africa Games?
by Ebo Quansah
It began in 1965 with all the promise of providing the launching pad for Africa's assault on global sports. Two decades after its inauguration, however, the All-Africa Games is but moribund.
Signals that the vehicle carrying Africa's sporting extravaganza was driving through red lights were given at the closing ceremony of the very first games in Brazzaville, when no nation gave any firm commitment to host the next competition, which the founding fathers had fixed for 1969.
Since then the All-Africa Games has threaded the path of uncertainty. In fact the only thing consistent one can vouch about the Games, is its inconsistency.
Because of the show of ostentation that goes with the hosting of the competition, costs have always scared many potential bidders away from the event. What was originally scheduled as a four-yearly contest has seen only two more competitions - Lagos 1973 and Algiers 1978 - since the inaugural ceremony in 1965.
On both occasions, it was benevolent oil rich leaders that saved the All-Africa Games from being somewhat of the past. Like the Olympic Games, aspiring host nations are required to make their bids at least eight years before the event.
Unlike the global games, however, applicants have been rare. And the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, the organization set up to co-ordinate affairs connected with the games on the continent, have had to do a lot of lobbying before convincing both Nigeria and Algeria to make facilities available for the 1973 and 1978 games in Lagos and Algiers respectively.
The Games owes its birthright to the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, when Heads of State and Governments meeting in Addis Ababa identified sports as one vital area that could advance the cause of the African personality
By the time flags were lowered and the Games flame extinguished in Algiers, no nation had applied to host the fourth competition. Eventually Kenya, which had then awarded a contract for the construction of a new Sports Complex to China eased the worries of SCSA officials by accepting the host role.
Already the Nairobi Games has suffered two postponements. Clouds still hang over it as the Kenyan Sport officials, obviously frightened by the cost involved are dragging their feet. The sports and Youth Minister whose outfit is providing facilities for the Games is reported to have told SCSA that Kenya could not afford the costs and that the time for hosting the August 8-22, 1987 competition was "too short".
Despite assurances by Mrs Rita Sawadogo, Sports and Youth Minister of Burkina Faso and a leading SCSA official that the games would go ahead as planned, there is every indication to believe that the All-Africa Games is heading for crisis.
Because of circumstances surrounding the foundation of the All- Africa Games and its overseeing body, the SCSA, the competition has always found itself married to the ostentation, and the confusion that have been the lot of African politics.
The Games owes its birthright to the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, when Heads of State and Governments meeting in Addis Ababa identified sports as one vital area that could advance the cause of the African personality.
Apart from helping to improve the standard of sports on the continent, the All-Africa Games was to provide the forum for cultural exchanges among the youth of Africa and thus pave the way for better understanding.
Membership of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa was and is still composed of Youth and Sports Ministers on the continent while grants for its administration is made available by the OAU.
Since its inception, the All-Africa Games has not disappointed the founding fathers in its politicisation. Host nations have never failed to identify foreign exploitation rather than misguided ideologies as the main problem haunting Africa.
Because of their continental acceptance, leadership of quest for host nations have invariably turned the All-Africa Games into a mini OAU conference. Pomp and pageantry, hallmarks of OAU conferences have become part and parcel of the All- Africa Games pushing costs to astronomical proportions.
The Egyptian football team- El Ahly which won the 1982 Africa Clubs Cup, another continental games.
If the games is to have any future, then steps must be taken to reduce costs which are the main hindrance to hosting. The most potent way of reducing cost is to rid the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa itself of political stranglehold. Instead of giving Ministers and other political appointees the blanket cheque to direct sports in Africa on ideological lines, the SCSA should be left in the hands of technocrats whose sole direction would be the way and manner to improve sporting standards.
Contingents to games must be kept at the barest minimum and the usual fleet of cars that are at the disposal of officials accompanying teams should be reduced. Host nations must organize the competition with profit as one of the motives.
While not advocating Los Angeles style gate fees, nations hosting the All- Africa Games must endeavour to get something substantial from the turnstiles. If host nations are able to break even from the games there is every indication that application for hosting would not be found wanting.
In the interim, the Kenyan Government would do well to honour its pledge to go ahead with the games in 1987. The virtual collapse of the All- with the lowering of African perform- ance in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and general sporting performance in a continent that is never without talents.
Everybody connected with it must help to make the revival of the continental contest a possibility. When it has done its homework, the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa will then have the moral courage to question the collapse of such regional contests like the ECOWAS Games whose fate has hanged in the balance since its inception in Lagos in 1978 and the East and Central Africa Games whose fate is still in the balance.
African books festival
The Foundation for African Arts has announced the FIRST AFRICAN BOOKS FESTIVAL to be held at the Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1; June 19th-22nd, 1985.This is the first Books Festival of its kind to be held in London, demon- strating the wealth and diversity in African writings.
For a continent with over 48 independent countries, the availability of African books in the western world is very limited. This Books Festival will create a platform for African publishers. There will be over 40 exhibiting publishers from Africa and all major European books publishers of African writings.
The aims of this Books Festival are to: Create a wider awareness of African writings; foster, the use of African books in schools and colleges; create an awareness among peoples of African descent in particular, and the public in general; to show the variety of African books available and encourage their wider use.
It will also provide a platform for discussion of different aspects of African writing for both peoples of African descent and the indigenous population; provide a source of information on where to get African books in this country; and provide a platform for African publishers to have access to British markets.
There will be workshops, seminars, African literature, i.e., academic writings, fiction, poetry, drama, children's books etc. Some of the areas that will be covered include the use of African books in schools, African women's writings, modern poetry and a forum on African theatre.
There will be workshops on theatre, film, poetry, children's writings and special workshops for librarians, teachers and lecturers.
